Practical guide for the use of the EU Ecolabel in the green public procurement of graphic paper

The EU Ecolabel and EU GPP (Green Public Producrement) are two European policy instruments that can be used by public procurers in a synergistic manner by matching supply and demand signals to green the market. Suppliers receive general demand signals for greener products. However, public procurers are often reluctant to state specific green criteria in calls for competition because of uncertainty about what exactly to ask for and the availability of compliant products on the market. These practical guidelines help procurers to draw up technical specifications and award criteria based on EU Ecolabel criteria in calls for the green public procurement of graphic paper. Compliance with the recommended EU GPP criteria can be verified simply by products carrying the EU Ecolabel and, in some cases, by products carrying other ISO 14024 type I ecolabels. Public authorities can also directly request EU Ecolabel graphic paper in their call for competition.